Cleansing Morgana
by KeepCalm I HaveMagic
Summary: After the battle is won, Merlin and Mordred set out to find Morgana and put an end to her evil ways. Reviews are loved. Last installment of my Magic Reigns Free Series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: In this story, I will be focusing more on Merlin and Mordred's friendship. I will also be giving I favourite warlock some background story along the way. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

While everyone else headed back to Camelot to celebrate their victory, Merlin and Mordred set out to find Morgana.

"If we go through the night, we should reach Ealdor by dawn. There we can rest and gather a week's supply of everything we'll need," Merlin said as he drew a map in the dirt with a stick next to the blazing fire. "Also I can see my mother."

"How long has it been since you saw her?" Mordred asked.

"A few years," Merlin replied. "With Arthur being king, I never really had the time off to go see her. We kept in touch though. I would send her letters and some extra money."

"You miss her, don't you?" Mordred guessed.

"Yeah I do," Merlin stated. "Now after Ealdor, We'll head for Mercia..."

* * *

As planned, the two men traveled through the night and made it to Ealdor as dawn approached. As they got closer to the village, Merlin could already hear he's mother's voice and feel her gentle touch.

When they walked into the village, several people, who were already outside working, stopped what they doing and looked at them with, hateful looks.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Mordred asked.

"We have magic," Merlin summed up as he looked around to see if his mother was already outside.

He quickly spotted her coming down the road carrying a basket full of what appeared to be half of the village's laundry. The warlock left Mordred's side and went to assist her.

"Here let me get that, Mother," Merlin said taking the heavy basket away from her.

Hunith just stared at him as she allowed her hands to fall away from the basket. "Merlin."

Merlin set the basket down next to him and embraced his mother with a hug.

* * *

Merlin and Mordred sat on the floor next to the fire, each eating a small meal that Hunith prepared for them.

"I've read all your letters, but I haven't received any in months. Why's that?" Hunith asked as she repaired a dress.

"Things have been a little busy at Camelot. I couldn't find the time. I'm sorry," Merlin apologized.

"It's quite alright. I'm just glad your safe," Hunith said. "So what brings you home?"

"You heard about the battle at Camlann?" Mordred asked.

"Yes I have. Word spreads so quickly these days," Hunith replied.

"While Arthur is heading back to Camelot, alive, Mordred and I are setting out to find Morgana and cleanse her," Merlin explained. "Ealdor is on the way to her location. We traveled through the night, just to get here. We don't have enough to supplies to last us the journey. Arthur could only provided us with swords and food for a couple of days."

"What do you need?" Hunith asked.

"Week's supply of food, two horses, and bedrolls," Mordred listed off.

"That shouldn't be to hard to gather. We've had an excellent crop season. And there are two young, but fully grown horses in the stables, ready for adventure ," Hunith said.

"Great," Merlin smiled.

"How long will you be staying?" Hunith asked.

"We'll be leaving when the sun rises tomorrow," Mordred answered.

* * *

While Mordred slept by the fire, Merlin walked around the village with his mother, talking about his latest adventures.

"You're such a brave man, Merlin," Hunith stated with a smile.

"Do you mind telling that to Arthur?" Merlin asked. "Even after all the times I've saved him, he still thinks I hide behind trees."

"He's just teasing you," Hunith said.

"I know," Merlin replied. "Anything else you want to know?"

"Do you truly trust Mordred?" Hunith questioned.

"I didn't at first, but after everything that happened with the Disir, I began to trust him. I couldn't understand why at first. But after talking to Arthur about my magic, I realized that Mordred's destiny was changed. Instead of killing Arthur, he is to protect Arthur and I with his life," Merlin explained. "I willingly put my life in his hands everyday, knowing that he will protect it."

"You're not worried about him betraying you?" Hunith asked.

"I still think that somewhere down the road he'll do something unforgivable, but no sense in worrying about something, that might never happen," Merlin answered

Hunith nodded in agreement. He son had grown up to be such a fine young man with a good head on his shoulders. He no longer played with wooden swords, pretending to be a knight or bandit. He had real sword and fought in real battles. If his sword failed him, he would use his magic.

"Where will you be heading to after you leave here?" Hunith asked.

"Mercia. I'm hoping that Lord Bayard will grant us safe passage through his land," Merlin answered.

He also hoped that Bayard didn't remember him from ten years ago, but he didn't voice that hope. He didn't want to worry his mother more than she already was.

"Promise me that you'll be safe?" Hunith requested.

Merlin looked at the seriousness in his mother's eyes. "I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

As dawn broke across the sky, Merlin and Mordred mounted the horses and put Ealdor behind them.

While the two friends rode in silence, Merlin would occasionally look over at Mordred to make sure the younger man was okay.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Mordred asked after feeling Merlin glance at him for probably the hundredth time.

"Wanted to make sure nothing was wrong," Merlin answered.

"I'm fine," Mordred stated. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"After we finished eating the breakfast my mother made us, yesterday, you slept until it was time to leave," Merlin explained.

"And you didn't?" Mordred asked.

"Why would I?" Merlin asked in return.

"We preformed some pretty heavy magic three days ago, then set out on foot toward Ealdor shortly afterwards. We only stopped to eat a quick lunch and to map out a traveling plan. Then walked until the sun came up," Mordred summed up. "You're telling me that you wouldn't be tired after all that?"

"My magic is still slightly more advanced than yours, so I was able to preform those spells without losing to much energy," Merlin explained. "Was I still tired? Yes. But instead of sleeping the day away like I would I normally do back in Camelot, I helped and spent time with my mother. Just like I used to do when I still lived in Ealdor."

"Was it normal for you to get so little sleep while growing up there?" Mordred asked.

"During crop season it was. Every able man, woman and child would work in the fields planting crops without complaint. Around noon we had a short time to rest, eat and drink water. After that we would go back to work. We would work late into the night. Then go home, hopefully eat a small dinner and sleep until the few hours before dawn," Merlin said as memories of working in the fields and feeling normal washed over him.

"Must have been hard," Mordred stated.

"Life in a village isn't meant to be easy. It's about working for what you want and need. It's about surviving through the harsh winters and hoping to feel the warmth of the sun again," Merlin responded.

The two rode in silence for a short time, before Mordred spoke again. "Do you ever miss your old life?"

"Sometimes," Merlin answered.

"What do you miss most?" Mordred wondered.

"When I was still a child, during the spring and summer time, Will and I would run through the woods chasing each other. Both of us would have a wooden sword. Will was always the heroic knight and I was always the bandit," Merlin remembered, caught up in the memories. "One time, I was so busy defending myself and the fruit that I had 'stolen' we didn't see the cliff behind me until it was too late."

* * *

_Merlin was ten and Will was twelve. Both of them had been playing in the woods since they finished their chores and ate a small lunch._

_Neither of them seemed to notice the fading light in the sky or how far they had wandered._

_"Give them back," Will ordered as he slammed his wooden sword into Merlin's._

_"In your dreams, knight," Merlin taunted as he took an apple out of his sack while fending off his friend._

_Will continued going at Merlin, causing him to move toward the edge of the unseen cliff._

_"You call yourself a knight? You can't even defeat a thief." Merlin said before he clenched on to the apple with his teeth while using both hands to use his fake sword._

_Will knew that what Merlin was saying was part of their game, but the words still stung. With a brute force, he slammed his fake sword into Merlin's causing his friend to lose his footing and fall over the now noticed cliff._

_Merlin screamed as he fell toward the earth below him. The screaming stopped when he landed his side and blacked out._

_Will rushed toward the edge and looked down at his unconscious friend. He quickly looked for a slope that could help him get down to his friend. When he found one, he ran towards it. After reaching the bottom, Will rushed over to Merlin, fell to his knees and rolled him on to his back. He felt sick looking at how bloody his friend's face was._

_Even though, Merlin was smaller than Will, he knew that he couldn't carry his friend back to the village all on his own. He'd have to leave his friend all alone and injured while he went to get help._

_Knowing that he was very deep into the woods, he knew that he wouldn't make it back before night fell. No one would leave the village at night to search for a boy who wasn't normal. Also knowing that they would come look for the son of a fallen knight in the dark, Will decided to find some wood and start a fire._

_Once he got a small fire going, Will poured what little water was left in his waterskin over Merlin's face, and washed the blood away. He then looked for any other noticeable injuries, but found none._

_He smiled gratefully, glad that his friend wasn't too badly injured._

* * *

_Shortly after the darkness claimed the sky, Merlin woke up._

_Merlin moved to sit up, but Will kept him lying down. "Don't get up. You have a head wound."_

_The younger boy, ran his hand over his forehead and cringed when he felt the wet sticky cut close to the top._

_Will ran all the routine questions their mothers had taught them to ask for when something like this ever happened, through his mind. Finally he asked. "What do you remember?"_

_"We were playing Knight and Bandit. You hit my sword hard enough to make me lose my balance. I fell," Merlin answered. "Why aren't we at home?"_

_"I couldn't carry you and I wasn't going to leave you all by yourself," Will answered._

_"Can we go now?" Merlin asked, not liking being in the woods at night._

_"I'm not letting you get up. We'll have to wait for help," Will replied. "Hopefully they're looking for us right now."_

_Merlin only nodded, finding comfort in the older boy's words._

_"Does anything else hurt?" Will questioned._

_Merlin did his best not to move while mentally checking each body part. His will power to stay still failed him, when he suddenly became aware of the pain in his left ankle. He sat up, despite Will's protests, and began removing his boot._

_Will cursed under his breath as he helped his friend remove the piece of footwear, and saw how swollen his ankle was. He quickly tried to figure out if was broken or not._

_Merlin watched as his friend worriedly checked his ankle. They were both well knowledged in the bones of the human body. Their mothers knew that a day like this would happen and they would have to know if something was broken or not._

_His mother had gone more in-depth because her older brother was the court physician in Camelot, so she had been able to teach him how to set a bone if need be._

_"Is it broken?" Merlin asked finally._

_"Yes," Will answered reluctantly, "but at best guess, it's a small break. Your mother will know more once we get you back to her."_

_Merlin looked at his ankle, then back at his friend. "It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would."_

_"That's because you didn't feel it when it first broke. You were unconscious when it happened," Will stated. "Lay back down and try to rest. Help will be here soon."_

_Merlin did as his friend requested._

* * *

_When a rescue team of three finally came, they found the two boys sleeping close together next to a dying fire. Merlin was using Will's chest as pillow._

_They never questioned why though. The two boys had always been close enough to be brothers, despite being complete opposites._

_One of the men woke up Will, while the other two men lifted the injured ten-year old off of him._

* * *

_Once the rescue team came back with the boys, they went straight to Merlin's mother, Hunith._

_Will sat by the warm fire with his mother, while he watched Hunith take care of her son._

_"You should have known better than to go that far," Will's mother stated as she brushed the dirt out of his hair._

_"We were having fun and lost track of where we were," Will defended._

_"What happened?" Hunith asked, not taking her eyes of Merlin._

_Will explained what happened and took full blame for Merlin falling off the cliff._

* * *

_The next day, Merlin woke up in a bed. He found that very strange since he always slept of the floor. He moved to get of the bed, but stopped when the pain in his ankle and a headache protested._

_At that moment, Will walked in with a bowl and cup of water in hand. "Afternoon."_

_"Why am I in a bed?" Merlin asked._

_"Your reward, my punishment," Will answered. "You get my bed until your head and ankle heals. I get to sleep on the floor and take care of you."_

* * *

_At first Merlin didn't like the idea of his best friend taking care of him, but as time went on, Merlin grew to liking the idea._


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin leaned against a tree as he occasionally poked the small fire. He was waiting for Mordred to return with more firewood. The warlock had offered to do it, but the Druid knight had insisted that he could handle it.

Merlin had just finished sharing the best memory he ever had when he lived Ealdor. In fact it was the only good memory he had. After that incident everything went downhill. His magic had started strengthening and it became harder for him control them. He'd suffer from mind-splitting headaches when he tried to push the magic down.

He had never shared that story with anyone before. The only people alive that knew about it was himself, his mother and Gaius. Gaius only knew because Hunith wrote a letter about it.

Mordred walked back into the small clearing that was their temporary camp for the next couple of hours, with an armful of wood.

"Did you have to knock over a tree to get that much wood?" Merlin joked.

"Do you want a big fire or a small one?" Mordred asked as he added the wood to the fire.

Merlin shrugged. "Enough to make lunch."

The knight finished adding the wood and sat down next to Merlin. "How are you going to get an audience with Bayard?"

"Run into a patrol, tell them that I'm Arthur's manservant. They'll take us straight to him," Merlin answered. "The treaty that Uther and Bayard signed ten years ago still holds despite the events that immediately followed."

"What happened?" Mordred asked.

"I may or may not have accused the visiting royal of poisoning Arthur's chalice," Merlin replied. "That's a story for another time though."

* * *

After four long days of travel, the two friends crossed the border into Mercia.

"No chance of going back now is there?" Mordred asked.

"None," Merlin answered. "Morgana is on the other side of Mercia. If we're granted safe passage, then we can get to her and fix her."

"She'll never truly be fixed though. She'll still have to deal with all those memories," Mordred pointed out.

Merlin shook his head. "That is why I'm wiping her memory. I'll replace the missing memories with everyone elses. She'll never know what she did."

Mordred nodded agreeing with the idea. "How are we going to get caught?"

"Make camp and wait for a patrol to spot us," Merlin said.

"You make it sound so easy," Mordred stated.

"Getting caught is the easy part. Getting safe passage and not exposing our magic will be the hard part," Merlin explained.

"I thought magic was legal in Mercia," Mordred assumed.

"It was until about five years ago," Merlin said.

"Morgana?" Mordred asked.

"Morgana," Merlin confirmed. "Let's hurry up and find a small clearing and make camp."

* * *

Back in Camelot, everyone was in high spirits and eager to start preparing for the festivities that would take place when Merlin and Mordred would return, successful.

The feast that had taken place the night before, Arthur had told everyone in attendance what Merlin and Mordred were planning on doing. That morning, Arthur had some of the knights, go to the Lower Town and outlying villages to spread the news.

Arthur stared out the window of his chambers watching everyone in the courtyard running around, doing their tasks. Despite the light and happy mood everyone was sharing, Arthur was worried.

He was worried about the lengths his two friends were willing to go to save to Morgana from herself. He was worried about what choices will be made when they returned.

Shortly after he had discovered their magic, he decided that one of them would end up the Court Sorcerer. Only he didn't know which one to choose. The obvious choice was Merlin, since he was more powerful and has always been loyal to him. But the thought of how Mordred might react, worried him. It scared him to think of what the Druid might do, because of what he was originally destined to do.

Mordred was pretty far advanced in magic because Merlin had been teaching him, so he was powerful enough to inflict all sorts of pain.

Arthur was pulled from his thoughts when Gaius walked in and spoke. "Everything alright, Sire?"

Arthur looked over at the elder man. "Everything is fine? Have they sent any word yet?"

"Hunith sent a letter from Ealdor. It just arrived. She said that they stopped there for a day to gather some more supplies and headed for Mercia," Gaius answered. "I estimate that they should be there by now."

"Are you sure the enchantment will work?" Arthur asked.

"They will not fail," Gaius assured. "They have been working on that spell for many months. It will work as long as everyone believes it will. There can be no doubts. Are you having doubts, Sire?"

Arthur shook his head. "No doubts here. I'm just worried about their safety. There has never been a quest such as the one they have undertaken. No man has dared step foot out of the Five Kingdoms for over two hundred years."

"They will look after each other," Gaius reassured, masking his own worry.

* * *

Mordred leaned against a tree as Merlin built a larger than necessary fire. He wondered if Merlin's plan was going to work. He knew how often Merlin's plans tended to backfire on him and anyone within in spitting distance of the idea.

Even though his plan to win the battle at Camlann worked. It didn't make up for all the past failures.

"Are you sure this will work?" Mordred asked for tenth time since they entered Mercia.

"Pretty damn sure," Merlin responded, confidence lacing his voice. "The bigger the fire, the more smoke that will rise. All we have to do is wait."

"Time is something we don't have. In about a week or so, Morgana will have found another abandoned castle to live in," Mordred stated.

"It will only take a few days to cross Mercia," Merlin reassured. "It is said that the castle she resides in is a day's ride from Mercia. Time is something that we have."

Mordred bit his lip. Merlin seemed so confident that his plan would work. He had never seen his friend so truly confident in anything. A lot of the time the older man displayed a false confidence to mask his fear. It seemed that ever since the Crystal Cave, he was more sure of himself than he had ever been.

He didn't want to be the one to waver Merlin's confidence. If the warlock was sure that his plan would work, than it would work.

* * *

A few hours after making the large fire a Mercian patrol surrounded the two friend's camp.

"Why are you trespassing in Lord Bayard's kingdom?" the head of the patrol commanded, aiming a crossbow at Merlin.

"We're on a quest for King Arthur. We have to travel through Mercia to get to where we need to go," Mordred answered.

The head patrolman turned and aimed the crossbow at Mordred. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to your servant."

"I'm not his servant," Merlin pointed out. "I'm King Arthur's manservant, Merlin. We only wish for safe passage through Mercian lands since the treaty between Camelot and Mercia still holds."

"Gather your things," the head patrolman ordered. "We're taking you to Lord Bayard."

Merlin hid his smirk, thankful that his plan was working.


	4. Chapter 4

After going through Mercia's castle gates, the patrol separated Merlin and Mordred.

"Where you taking him?" Merlin asked, wondering what was going to happen to Mordred.

"The dungeons of course. No knight of Camelot is to have an audience with Bayard," the patrolman leading Merlin into the castle answered.

"Why do I get an audience then?" Merlin questioned.

"You're King Arthur's personal servant. That makes you worth more than one of his knights," the patrolman answered.

A hundred smartass remarks ran through Merlin's head, but he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't about to ruin his only chance to get safe passage.

* * *

The patrolman pushed Merlin to his knees, like he was a common criminal, on to the throne room floor in front of Bayard.

"You should treat this man with more respect, Sinclair," Bayard warned looking at the patrolman.

"He and a knight of Camelot were caught trespassing into Mercia, My Lord," Sinclair stated.

"He's also the most trusted member of King Arthur's court," Bayard pointed out. "When he goes back to Camelot, he'll speak of the mistreatment and probably start a war."

"Arthur will probably think that I did or said something stupid and tell me not to do it again," Merlin remarked.

"Get the young man to his feet, then leave us," Bayard ordered Sinclair.

Sinclair helped Merlin off the throne room floor, bowed to Bayard and swiftly left the room.

Bayard stood from his throne and closed the space between him and Merlin. "Why are you here?"

"We only seek safe passage through your land," Merlin answered.

"Sinclair mentioned a knight of Camelot, but I do not see a knight," Bayard pointed out.

"The rest of the patrol took him to your dungeons," Merlin said.

"Why do you even come to Mercia?" Bayard asked, dismissing what his men did.

"We are on a quest to stop Morgana. Reports have her in an abandoned castle outside of the Five Kingdoms. The castle lies on the other side of Mercia," Merlin explained.

"How do you plan to stop her?" Bayard asked,clearly interested in the quest.

"We plan to kill her with a blade forged in a dragon's breath," Merlin lied, not revealing what he was really going to do.

"Where will you get such a sword?" Bayard questioned.

"The Great Dragon," Merlin replied.

Bayard walked back to his throne and sat down. The royal studied the young man before him. He remembered when this man accused him of trying to poison Arthur all those years ago. Sure he had forgiven him when they learned that Nimueh was behind it all.

He was also sure that the young man probably remembered it more often than he did, since the fool had in fact been the one to drink the poison. He had always assumed that the man before him had died, because he never been informed of what happened to him. All he knew was that he and his people had been cleared of everything because that damn witch. That was until recently when he learned of what happened at Camlann

This young man, who stood tall and confident before him, almost died ten years ago because of said witch, and fought in a battle that should have been lost. He deserved a some respect.

"You have been traveling for many days with little rest, have you not?" Bayard asked.

"We have," Merlin confirmed.

"I'm sure that you don't have enough supplies to last the rest of the quest," Bayard guessed.

"We were provided with what could be given to us," Merlin answered.

"You will be granted safe passage, supplies and shelter for this evening," Bayard granted.

"What about the knight?" Merlin asked.

"Him as well," Bayard said. "I'll have one of my men escort him to his own guest chambers."

Merlin bowed his head in respect and gratefulness. "Thank you, Lord Bayard."

"I'll have Sinclair escort you to your guest chambers and have the kitchen prepare a dinner," Bayard said. "You and the knight will dine with me this evening."

* * *

Merlin was sitting at the small table in his guest chambers, reading through one of the books he had packed for the journey, when Mordred walked in.

"What did you say?" Mordred asked getting the warlock's attention.

Merlin put the book on the table and looked at Mordred. "Honestly? I don't know what I said to make him grant safe passage, supplies, and a place in the castle for the evening."

"Are we really going to have to dine with him?" the Druid knight questioned.

"I wouldn't argue with it. Just be grateful that he's doing all this. No other king or lord would treat us like this," Merlin warned.

"At least you weren't sent to the dungeons. Since when does knight get looked down upon?" Mordred wondered as he sat across from his friend.

Merlin shrugged. "I think it's because I'm Arthur's personal servant. We can find out at dinner."

* * *

Merlin and Mordred sat across from each while Bayard sat in between them at the head of the table.

At first Merlin was nervous because it wasn't normal for a servant to dine with royalty, but after a while he put his best foot forward and made it seem like he was well-mannered and that he had done something like this before.

"Tell me more about this quest of yours?" Bayard requested as he drank some wine. "How do you plan on getting the Great Dragon to breathe on a sword?"

Merlin looked down at his food then at the royal. "My father was Dragonlord. I didn't know of this until a few years ago. Gaius says that a Dragonlord's power is passed down from father to son, but only after the father's death. So I had no choice in this power."

"Do you study magic?" Bayard asked. "I heard that Dragonlords also know some magic."

"I don't practice it," Merlin lied. "Never had a reason to."

"You'd think with a quest such as this, you'd think to bring a sorcerer with you," Bayard stated.

"Arthur thought that would be a bad idea, because he didn't want us traveling with a complete stranger," Mordred stated. "The stranger might turn on us."

Bayard looked at Merlin. "Why would the King of Camelot risk the life of his servant?"

"Who else would get a sword forged in a dragon's breath?" Merlin asked in return.

Bayard let out a short laugh. "I was foolish enough to ask."

The three ate in silence for a few minutes, then Bayard spoke again. "Tell me, Merlin. What do you remember about that night ten years ago?"

Merlin put the fork, that was close to mouth, down on his plate and pushed it away from him. "Not much. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Up until a few days ago, I thought you had died. When I heard that you fought at Camlann, I was dumbfounded," Bayard said. "So tell me, what do you remember?"

Merlin suddenly felt sick to his stomach. For many months after that night he had nightmares about him dying and war breaking out between the two kingdoms. He had managed to put the memory in the deepest, darkest corner that he could find in his mind.

Mordred looked over at Merlin. His confidence had left him and all that remained was a hidden pain from hidden memories pouring to the surface.

"I supressed a lot of what happened for certain reasons," Merlin replied.

Bayard looked at the young man. After he had some of his men do some research on Merlin, he learned that the man has had a few dozen brushes with death over the years, but the poisoned goblet was the first one. So it made sense that he buried the memory of what happened. Who was he to push the man, who wanted to forget it ever happened.

"I understand if you don't wish to tell me. It was probably a painful memory for you," Bayard said, dropping the matter.

Merlin wiped the grease from his meal off his hands with a cloth then placed it on the plate with his half eaten meal and stood up. "Excuse me. I don't feel well."

"You're excused," Bayard granted, realizing why Merlin didn't feel well all of a sudden.

Merlin bowed his head with thanks, then quickly left the dining hall.

As Merlin left, Mordred watched him with a worried expression and making a mental note to check on him later.


	5. Chapter 5

Before Merlin even made it to the bed in his guest chambers, he fell to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach on to the floor.

Even though he was alone, he felt embarrassed. This had never happened to him before. During those months afterwards, Merlin had never felt sick when someone brought it up. He figured that after having the memories come to the surface the way they did, triggered this reaction.

Merlin quickly searched the chambers for something clean up his mess, but found nothing. He didn't really feel up to telling anyone what had happened. It would just bring him more embarrassment.

At that moment, Mordred walked in and it only took him a second to figure out what happened. He was quickly at his friend's side.

"Let's get you to bed. I'll clean this up," Mordred said helping Merlin to his feet.

Merlin didn't try to fight his friend. It wasn't worth the energy.

"Shouldn't you be eating with Bayard," Merlin hoarsely asked.

"I excused myself to check on you. It would seem that I made the right choice," Mordred answered as he sat Merlin on the side of the bed.

"He shouldn't have brought it up," Merlin stated.

"Even though I wasn't there when the events took place, I agree," Mordred said. "Just lay down and sleep. I'll clean everything up."

Merlin pulled himself on to the bed, shut his eyes and fell asleep on top of the covers.

Mordred looked at how pale Merlin had become since Bayard brought up the bad memory. The Druid had seen the older man face death many times, and come out okay. But the reaction he had to something that had happened ten years ago, he figured that it must have been the first time his best friend had nearly died.

The knight turned his attention to the mess he had promised to clean up. He quickly noticed that there was nothing in the chambers that could be used to clean it up.

Just then there was a knock on the chamber doors. Mordred moved toward the door and opened it. Standing in front of him was a young servant with a bucket and scrub brush.

"What are you doing here?" Mordred asked.

"Lord Bayard sent me. He said that one of his guests looked ill at dinner and probably lost what he had eaten," the servant replied.

Mordred didn't need to debate on whether or not to let servant in. He wasn't about to let anyone see Merlin in the state he was in. Except for maybe a court physician.

"Leave the bucket and scrub brush. I'll clean it up," Mordred said.

"But you're a Knight of Camelot," the servant protested.

"I said, 'I'll clean it up'," Mordred stated.

The servant handed him the bucket and scrub brush. "Do you need anything else?"

"Is there a Court Physician?" Mordred asked.

"Shall I go get him?" the servant questioned.

"Not yet. Just stay close in case I need you to get him," Mordred said before closing the door.

* * *

After Mordred finished cleaning, he sat at the small table and picked up the book that Merlin had been reading earlier. He wasn't about to leave the man, in the state he was in, on his own.

After an hour had passed, Merlin had begun talking his sleep. The warlock talked of war and death. Mordred got up from where he had been sitting, and moved to Merlin's side. He placed his hand on Merlin's forehead and was shocked at how warm to the touch he was.

Knowing that the servant from earlier was probably standing outside the chambers, Mordred walked over to the door, opened it and stepped outside. His prediction was proved correct when he saw the servant sitting on the floor, picking a loose thread on his tunic.

The servant quickly noticed the knight's presence and stood up. "What do you need?"

"I need you go get your Court Physician and Bayard," Mordred answered.

The servant quickly ran down the hall, hopefully the quickest way to the Mercian Court Physician. Mordred walked back into the chambers and went to be by his friend's side.

* * *

A short time later Bayard and the Court Physician entered Merlin's guest chambers.

"Why didn't you alert us of this earlier?" Bayard asked looking at Mordred.

Mordred left Merlin's side and allowed the physician to do what he needed to do.

"I figured he'd be better by morning if he just slept," Mordred answered looking the royal in the eye. "None of it would have happened if you left the past where it belongs."

"You really shouldn't talk to me like that. Not after all the kindness I have shown you," Bayard warned.

"Your 'kindness' got my friend sick," Mordred stated.

"Why would a knight be friends with a king's manservant?" Bayard asked.

"Merlin is much more than a servant. He is loyal, brave and protective. He follows Arthur into every battle without any armour or a weapon and comes out unscathed. Arthur always goes to Merlin before anyone else for advise. He wasn't forced to come on this quest. He chose to, even knowing the dangers that will be faced. He was the one who bravely talked to you during that audience while I sat in a cell," Mordred defended. "You could ask any one of Camelot's knights and they will all say that Merlin deserves to be a knight more than anyone else."

Bayard had just thought Merlin was stupid servant who put his life on the line because he was overly loyal. The knight in front of him made him think differently. Mordred was right all of this was his fault, because he didn't leave the past where it belonged.

"How is he, Samuel?" Bayard asked looking at the physician.

Samuel looked at Bayard and Mordred. "The fever will hopefully pass within a day. When he wakes fully, I'll begin preparing something to help him regain his strength."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: As a special treat for all you amazing readers I'm going to give you a bonus chapter, since I will not be able to post anything for the next few days. You see my boyfriend invited me to spend a few days with him and his family at their beach house. I'm sure they have internet there, but I have to leave my laptop and stories at home.

* * *

Mordred woke to the sunlight hitting his face. He had stayed up all through the night Merlin was sick as well as the following day, tending to him. When his friend's fever finally broke, he allowed himself to fall asleep at the table.

He looked over at the bed and saw that it was empty. The Druid was about to panic that his friend wasn't where he should be when Merlin, himself, walked into the chambers.

Mordred looked at his friend from head to toe, He was still pale, but not as pale as when he fallen ill. "You look better."

"And you look tired," Merlin remarked.

"I woke up and you weren't here," Mordred stated rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"When I woke up, Bayard was here. He wanted me to go see the Court Physician," Merlin assured.

"Everything okay?" Mordred asked.

"Yeah. They just wanted to make sure I was well enough to travel," Merlin stated.

"Are you?" Mordred wondered as he stood up a stretched out his sore back.

"Yes," Merlin confirmed. "You didn't send word to Arthur about this, did you?"

"Thought about it, but decided against it. I knew that by time word got him, we'd be traveling again. No sense in having him worry," Mordred explained.

"Smart move. We wouldn't want to ruin the prat's festive mood," Merlin said. "We should get ready to leave. We need to get going while there's still light out."

* * *

As darkness began to claim the sky, the Druid and warlock stopped to make camp. Neither had said anything since they left Lord Bayard's castle. Nothing needed to be said. That was until now.

Mordred was making a fire, while Merlin rested his back against a tree. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired, but I'm fine," Merlin answered.

"You know talking about it might help. You can't keep it buried forever," Mordred pointed out.

"I've kept it buried for ten years. I'll keep it buried for ten more," Merlin stated.

"So you can get sick all over again?" Mordred asked.

Merlin looked into the fire. It felt as if the fire was reading his emotions and pulling on them. "He should have never brought it up to begin with."

"What happened?" Mordred asked.

"I take it you've been able to figure out most of it on your own?" Merlin guessed.

"You accused Bayard of trying to kill Arthur, so Uther had you drink the poison. You nearly died but received the antidote just in time," Mordred said.

"Nearly?" Merlin repeated in the form of a question. "Try 'actually'. I did die. Bright white light and everything. I was only brought back because the antidote started to work. It counteracted the poison and restarted my heart. I was sick for the rest of the week, forcing the remains of the poison out of my system."

"What about after you were better?" Mordred asked.

"Had nightmares of me dying and war between the two kingdoms," Merlin answered. "I never told anyone. Not even Gaius. I just acted as if everything was normal. After about four months, I learned of spell to suppress the memory for a long time. The only way to bring the memory out of hiding was for someone, other than myself, who was involved in the events to mention it."

"Bayard undid the spell?" Mordred guessed.

Merlin fell silent and nodded.

* * *

The rest of the night was filled with silence. Mordred would occasionally look over at Merlin, who had fallen asleep shortly after supper.

He was more worried than he had originally let on. Bayard had torn at Merlin's confidence. When he talked to Merlin earlier in the day it felt as if the warlock's confidence was never damaged, but throughout the day, the knight was able to tell that it was the false confidence seeping through.

Merlin had put up a wall again, and he wasn't about to willingly let just anyone in until repairs were made.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Well the trip was canceled, because my boyfriend's sister is sick. So I've had all day to finish this chapter.

Yeah I know I'm taking forever for them to reach Morgana. I can't just have them reach Morgana without running into trouble first, can I? Where's the fun in a quest if there isn't bumps along the way.

* * *

For the next two days the friends traveled in silence. They spoke when it was necessary, something that wasn't often.

Little did one them know, they were being watch from a distance by some of Morgana's men.

* * *

Morgana sat on her throne, relishing in her brother's stupidity to send two sorcerer's without any protection to her. She was going to enjoy torturing them and taking their away for good.

The witch had heard from a traitor in Arthur's army that Merlin had almost died because he didn't have his magic. She was going to take her time with him. He had taken away what was rightfully her's one too many times.

* * *

Arthur sat at his desk. There hadn't been any word on Merlin and Mordred since Ealdor. Gwen and Gaius both suggested sending out a search party to find out what happened. But the king refused even though he considered the idea. He just figured that they were so busy traveling that they haven't had a chance to send word.

Just then Gwaine came in holding a piece of paper.

"What's it say?" Arthur asked, hoping that it was news.

"It's a letter sent by Lord Bayard," Gwaine announced. "He says that they spent a couple of nights in the guest chambers and that he gave them safe passage and enough supplies to last the rest of the journey."

"Why two nights?" Arthur wondered.

"Merlin had fallen ill shortly after they dined with Bayard. Their Court Physician figured that it was something he ate that caused him to be sick," Gwaine answered. "I highly doubt that's the truth."

Arthur agreed with Gwaine's doubt. Merlin could and would eat just about anything put in front of him and not get sick from it.

"What do you want to do about it?" Gwaine asked.

"Nothing. We can ask Merlin when they return," Arthur answered. In truth he wanted to figure out why Merlin had really fallen ill in Mercia, but there was no point in causing an uproar about it since the warlock wasn't there anymore.

* * *

Merlin pushed his lunch around in his plate, lost in thought.

"I thought you said you were hungry," Mordred said, trying to get his friend to join in a civil conversation.

For some reason, Merlin was still pale from what happened in Mercia. Mordred knew that he should be worried, but he just figured it was from what little rest they've had.

"We're reaching the end of Mercia's border. After that, we won't have any kingdom to help us. We'll be walking into land that no one has dared walk for over two hundred years. Except for Morgana and what little army of Saxons she has left," Merlin explained.

"You're scared?" Mordred guessed.

"No," Merlin denied. "Are you?"

"A bit," Mordred admitted. "I was more scared when we started this journey."

"Normally it's the other way around," Merlin said.

"We are not normal," Mordred stated. "We are the only ones stupid enough to go one this quest alone. We were not prepared for the journey. We didn't think it through, despite practicing the spell for months. Sure we've had some luck along the way, but as soon as we cross the border in to forgotten and forbidden territory, we'll probably get caught and taken to Morgana."

"Aren't you just a ray of happiness?" Merlin asked sarcastically.

"I'm just saying that we need to more careful where we step," Mordred warned.

"I'm always careful," Merlin stated flashing his famous idiotic grin.

Mordred grinned. He was glad to see his best friend smile one last time before they entered the mouth of hell. "Let's try to get some rest. We won't be able to rest when we cross the border."

* * *

Merlin and Mordred looked at the plain below. At the far end of the valley they could see a castle.

"Let's not keep the witch waiting any longer," Merlin said, moving his horse down the hill.

Mordred quickly followed suit as he repeated the spell over and over again in his head. He had no idea of Merlin's plan past this point. The warlock just told him that they had to reach the castle, find Morgana and cast the spell.

He didn't know how they were even going to get into the castle. He just hoped that Merlin wasn't planning on acting a blindly and get them caught like before when they entered Mercia.

"Care to tell me your plan now?" Mordred asked.

"By now Morgana knows where we are and will have us come to her. I figured, play right into her hands. She'll think we were stupid enough to fall for her trap. Once she has us, we have to anger her. As soon as she's angry enough to kill us on the spot, we cast the spell. She'll be too surprised to stop us," Merlin explained.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Mordred asked.

"We're in an empty plain. If I told you in the woods, her spies would have heard, gone and told her, and ruin everything," Merlin replied as if it was obvious.

Mordred wondered briefly if Merlin had seen the spies when he had seen none. He quickly pushed the thought aside and started repeating the spell again.

* * *

Morgana paced her room, waiting for the arrival of the two sorcerers. She had removed all of her spies. She was letting them come straight to her.

They would fall for her trap. She just knew it. Both of them would be stupid enough to walk through the front. Neither would think the wiser.

"My Lady," one her guards interrupted.

"What?" Morgana demanded.

"One of the men in the watch towers spotted two figures at the far end of the plain. They'll be here by nightfall," the guard reported.

"Ready the dungeon. I want their new home to be as miserable as possible," Morgana ordered.

* * *

As the sun fell across the sky, the two sorcerers walked through gates of the castle's citadel.

"What are we going to do after Morgana is better?" Mordred asked quietly.

"No idea," Merlin replied as he looked around. "This place is empty of all life. Morgana probably has her men inside. Dismount and stay alert."

Mordred got off of his horse and drew his sword. He watched as Merlin repeated the action, but continued to look around.

Neither of them seemed to notice, Morgana staring out a window just above the main doors to the castle.

"Split up?" Mordred asked as the rounded a corner.

"If you think it makes us seem even more stupid, yes. But if you don't want to die, stay close," Merlin answered. The warlock briefly wondered when he had turned into Arthur.

A few seconds later, the two were ambushed by Saxons. Deciding to keep up the charade of stupid heroes, they dropped their swords.


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin and Mordred were chained and dragged to the throne room. The two Saxons who had escorted them, practically tossed them in front of Morgana.

Morgana knelt in front them with an evil smirk. "How stupid must my brother be to send you pathetic excuses for sorcerers?"

Merlin lifted his head and stared Morgana in the eye. "You should really start showing me some respect."

They had to wait for the right moment to cast the spell. Until then Merlin was going to do what he did best. Be a smartass.

"Why should I respect you?" Morgana sneered.

"I am Emrys, King of the Druids," Merlin remarked. "Don't you remember the stories they told you when you went to them for help all those years ago?"

"You're no king," Morgana taunted.

Merlin shrugged. "Right now, I consider it to be a honourary title. But once Albion is born and magic is free across the kingdoms, I will leave Arthur and live amongst the Druids and be their king."

"You would never leave Arthur," Morgana stated.

"I'll never truly stop being in his service. I'll help him when need be. All he'll need to do is find me," Merlin explained, feeling how angry Morgana was becoming.

Morgana swiftly slapped him across the face. "Shut up."

"That's something I will never do," Merlin stated. "You know that I don't know how to shut up. You think Arthur keeps me around because I'm good at my job? No, he keeps me around, because I'm someone he can talk to about what's happening. Right now he's probably bored out of his mind, because I haven't been by his side since Camlann."

"Why are you so annoying?" Morgana demanded.

"Why are you so full of hate and ignorance?" Merlin asked.

"It should be me on that throne. I am the rightful heir," Morgana screeched.

"First born son. Not first-born," Merlin corrected "Last time I checked, you're Uther's daughter and Arthur is his son."

Morgana let out a burst of angry magic, causing all the windows to shatter in millions of little shards.

Merlin nudged Mordred, causing the Druid to lift his head and shared a quick glance with his best friend. It was now or never.

"IC HAELE THINA THROWUNGA!" Merlin and Mordred shouted in unison with all their combined power as they stared at a stunned Morgana.

Once the spell was complete, they watched as the evil witch collapsed on to the floor. Her men quickly moved to her aid, but they were thrown back against the walls by Mordred.

Merlin quickly undid their bonds and rushed to Morgana's side. He cupped Morgana's head in his hand and recited the Catha spell to have her forget all the horrible things she did. Then filled the missing memories with false ones of her back in Camelot with her friends and family.

Merlin watched as the hatred and anger that had filled her for so many years disappear and be replaced with her former beauty.

Mordred stood over them. "She'll wake up soon. We need to leave now."

* * *

Mordred laid Morgana over the horse they stole from the stable, while Merlin ready their's with extra supplies he stole from the Saxons.

The Druid recited a sleeping spell over Morgana. It was safer to have her sleep until they got as far away as they could.

"Ready?" Merlin asked.

"Ready," Mordred confirmed as he tied the reins of Morgana's horse to his saddle.

"We'll have to ride without stopping for the next two days. We need to get as much distance as possible before waking her up," Merlin explained. "Also it will give me time to think of a good kidnapping story and place it her mind."

* * *

After two days without rest and making certain that the Saxons weren't coming after them, Merlin made camp while Mordred tended to Morgana.

"How is she?" Merlin asked as he lit the fire.

"She should wake soon. Go ahead and place what ever memory you conjured up, while I find a raven," Mordred said before he wandered a distance.

Merlin cupped his restored friend's head in his hands and placed a memory of her being kidnapped by Saxons and at their mercy for over a week. Then a memory of Merlin and Mordred rescuing her with their magic.

As Merlin removed his hands, Morgana began to wake.

"Merlin?" Morgana asked as she looked at the warlock with blurry eyesight.

"Hey," Merlin grinned. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Morgana replied as she sat up. "Where are we?"

"Mercia," Merlin replied. "What do you remember?"

"The Saxons kidnapped and chained me to a wall in a dungeon. Then you and Mordred showed up, taking them all out and freeing me," Morgana answered. "How long was I out?"

"A couple of days. You passed out before we could get to the horses. Most likely exhaustion and hunger," Merlin explained. "You'll be able to eat as soon as Mordred gets back and I start preparing a meal."

"Where did Mordred go?" Morgana asked.

"To find a raven. He's sending word to Arthur that we were successful in rescuing you," Merlin answered.

"Arthur should knight you for your heroics," Morgana stated, smiling a genuine smile.

"I'd make a lousy knight. I can barely use a sword properly." Merlin said.

"Court Sorcerer then," Morgana suggested.

Merlin had toyed with the idea of being in a position of power, but he was happy with his place in life. "I'm happy to be Arthur's servant. I could not imagine myself with that kind of power over the people. It would destroy me."

"Promise me something?" Morgana asked.

"Anything," Merlin said. He was ready to do anything for Morgana. They had saved her and she was back.

"Promise me that whatever reward Arthur gives you, you'll accept it with grace and honour," Morgana requested.

"I promise, Morgana," Merlin swore.

Mordred came back to their makeshift campsite and sat down next to Morgana, while Merlin set to making dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

After traveling for eights days, the trio of magic users entered the gates of Camelot as the sun was in early stages of setting. The courtyard was crowded with knights, servants, men, women and children. Everyone was cheering for the safe return of Morgana Pendragon.

The trio stopped at the main doors to the castle and dismounted their horses, which were handed off to Daegal and two other stable hands. Mordred went with the stable hands, so that he could get their weapons and sacks.

"Let's have Gaius look you over, while I talk to Arthur," Merlin suggested when he saw the two coming down the stairs.

Morgana nodded as Merlin handed her off to his mentor.

Arthur stood next to Merlin as he watched his sister being led into the castle. "Is it truly her again?"

"We've put her through every test we could think of," Merlin answered. "She doesn't remember any of the crimes she committed or the lives she took. Gaius will probably perform a few more tests. But for now Morgana is Morgana again."

"What about her magic?" Arthur asked.

"She thinks that she hid it from you until you repealed the ban. She believes that only ones to know up until that point was Gaius, Mordred and myself," Merlin replied.

"After Gaius declares her healthy, we'll be having a feast in your's, her's and Mordred's honour," Arthur said clapping a hand on Merlin's shoulder and walking away.

* * *

Morgana laid in her old bed in her old chambers as Gaius examined her for any lasting effects from her "captivity" and long journey back. Gaius would often ask for detail about what the Saxons did to her and she would reply what she thought was a real memory.

Despite all the healing magic Merlin had used on her, she was still sore and tired. They hadn't been able to get much sleep because they had to keep going in case of Saxons or bandits.

"Get some rest, dear," Gaius said as he packed up his medical kit.

Morgana nodded her agreement and closed her eyes.

Gaius looked at Morgana's new handmaid. "Let me know when she wakes up."

"I will," the handmaid promised.

* * *

Gaius walked into the throne room and found Arthur and Mordred immersed in a conversation.

"Gaius," Arthur stated when he spotted the physician.

"Sire," Gaius replied bowing his head in respect.

"How is she?" the young king asked.

"Tired and sore. Given a couple of days of rest she should be fine," Gaius answered.

"Does she remember anything that truly happened?" Arthur asked.

"I'm pleased to say that she's the Morgana we know and love," Gaius announced.

Arthur grinned. "That's great."

Gaius returned the king's happiness. "It sure is, Sire."

Arthur expression turned serious when he remembered what he and Mordred where discussing a moment ago. "When you see Merlin, tell him to that I need to speak with him. I'll be in my chambers, waiting."

"Of course, Sire," Gaius said as he bowed his head again and left.

* * *

Merlin was in his room, clearing all the dust, that had formed during his absence, away, when Gaius walked in.

"I'm gone for what, two weeks?" Merlin asked noticing his mentor's presence but not looking at him. "And my room is completely covered in dust."

"Arthur wishes to speak with you in his chambers," Gaius stated, ignoring his nephew's complaining. "You can clean this up later."

Merlin turned and looked at his uncle. "Why does he want to speak with me?"

"For probably the smartest person in the kingdom, you sure are clueless," Gaius pointed out. "Probably to talked about the quest."

"Here I am thinking that I'm an idiot," Merlin remarked as he walked past Gaius.

* * *

Merlin walked into the royal chambers and found Arthur at his desk. "Gaius said you wanted to talk to me."

For an answer, Arthur handed him a piece of paper. "Explain this."

Merlin quickly read the letter then looked at his master. "Most of its true."

"What part isn't true?" Arthur asked.

"The explanation of why I was sick," Merlin answered. "I fell ill because Bayard brought up a memory that I had suppressed with a spell."

"The poisoned goblet," Arthur guessed.

Merlin nodded. "For months I had nightmares about it. After I couldn't take it anymore, I learned a spell that could suppress the memory for a long time. It worked up until Bayard brought up what happened. The undoing of the spell made me sick."

"Well I'm glad that you're better now, even though you're still seem pale," Arthur stated. "I still want to have Gaius look you over to make sure nothing else is wrong."

Merlin made a moved to protest but, Arthur stopped him. "You've been traveling nonstop since you left Bayard's castle. That wasn't a healthy choice, but given the circumstances I can understand. Gaius is to check you over, without any complaint. Understand?"

"I'll go see him," Merlin practically whined.

"Knowing you, you'll avoid him and me for the rest of the day. No, we'll go see him together," Arthur said getting up from his desk.

* * *

Merlin sat at the small table in the main room of the shared chambers, while Gaius looked him over and Arthur stood by the door.

"I wouldn't bother cleaning your room, Merlin," Gaius stated.

"Why not?" Merlin asked.

"Because you need a proper night's rest," Gaius answered. "When was the last time you've had any proper sleep?"

"Been a few months. I've been too busy to sleep," Merlin replied.

"Well you're going to bed right now," Gaius ordered in a fatherly tone.

Merlin reluctantly did as Gaius told him.

Once Merlin was in his room and the door was closed, Gaius lead Arthur outside and a distance away from the shared chambers.

"How is he?" Arthur asked.

"Exhausted. I'm amazed at how long he held out," Gaius replied. "I figured that after a journey like this, he would go straight to bed. But when I went to tell him that you wanted to talk him, he was cleaning away the dust that had gathered in his room."

"He must have been functioning on what little energy he had left," Arthur suggested.

"Either that or his magic was helping," Gaius put in.

"Hopefully Mordred had the right idea and went to his chambers to sleep after I talked to him," Arthur said.

"For his sake, I hope so to," Gaius agreed.

"When Merlin wakes up tomorrow, tell him that he has the next couple of days off. I want him well rested for the feast that will be put together," Arthur said before walking away.


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin slept most of the next day away. He only woke up long enough to grab an apple from the fruit bowl and eat it. He barely paid attention to Gaius when he told him that a couple of days off.

Morgana on the other hand moved about her chambers and talked with her handmaid. Mostly she talked about Merlin and how brave he was when he and Mordred rescued her.

Everyone else in castle busied themselves as they got ready for the upcoming feast.

* * *

The next day, Merlin woke up feeling better than he had in the past few months. As he got dressed in clean clothes, he vaguely remembered Gaius telling him that he would have the day off.

Before leaving his room, Merlin cleared the rest of the dust away with a cleaning spell. He watched as the window opened itself and all the dust went right out it.

The warlock then left his room only to be greeted by Arthur talking Gaius. He seriously hoped that Gaius hadn't been lying about days off.

Arthur looked over at his best friend. "You look better."

Merlin shrugged. "I feel better."

The king nodded. "Good that means you'll be able to join the feast, along with Morgana and Mordred."

"The feast that's in our honour?" Merlin asked, making sure that he remembered correctly.

"Yes," Arthur confirmed. He wasn't about to share what he'll be asking the warlock during the feast. "I won't keep you two any longer. I'm sure Gaius would enjoy hearing about your quest."

Arthur then turned and left, heading in who knows what direction.

Merlin sat down at the small table, as Gaius put a plate full of his favourite breakfast in front of him.

"Is there any chance that Morgana will remember what she did?" Merlin asked, picking up a piece of bread and biting into it. "I mean I know that Gwen doesn't remember anything she did, but Morgana did things a thousand times more worse."

"It was a very powerful spell that you and Mordred cast. With luck it should hold for several years. By then Morgana will understand why you did what did on her own and stay. We'll help her get past the things she did," Gaius reassured.

* * *

Morgana was sitting across from Gwen, in the royal chambers, as they chatted away, when Arthur walked in.

"What are my two favourite woman talking about in here?" Arthur asked, teasingly.

"Morgana has something she would like to tell us. I can't get her to talk though," Gwen answered. "Maybe you can."

"What is it Morgana?" Arthur asked, worried that she had remembered something she wasn't suppose to.

"It has to do with Merlin," Morgana replied.

"What did he do?" Arthur wondered.

Morgana bit her lip and blushed.

Gwen was able to figure out what that meant. "You like Merlin?"

Morgana nodded, confirming the question.

Arthur wondered if Merlin had given her memories of him and her spending time together, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He remembered when the two danced around each other in the months leading up to Morgause taking her and twisting her mind.

"What brought this on?" Arthur asked.

"I guess him saving me," Morgana answered.

"Mordred played a part in that as well," the king pointed out.

"I know he did, but I don't know him like I know Merlin," Morgana confessed.

"Well don't let Merlin know how you feel quite yet. We'll talk to him together after the feast," Arthur planned.

* * *

During the feast, Merlin felt out-of-place. Normally he was serving, not being served. He hadn't failed to notice how some of the other servants he considered friends stared at him with the same jealousy they had when he became Arthur's manservant just for saving his life.

After everyone had a chance to eat the main course, Arthur stood up and got everyone's attention.

Once all eyes were on him as he spoke. "If my father were still here he's probably send the entire army to save Morgana. He never would have sent a knight and servant to perform such a task. He never would be able to understand that only Merlin and Mordred could do the impossible, because of their magic. For that I thank them. As everyone has probably guessed, I've been thinking about who to make Court Sorcerer for a few months now. Well I've finally come to a decision."

The air became tense with anticipation as Arthur looked at both Merlin and Mordred.

"Merlin, stand up," Arthur said breaking the silence. Merlin stood and looked at Arthur then at the crowd. "Merlin you have been by my side for many years. You have faced the same battles as me. Fought the same monsters. All while any normal servant would stay in the safety of the castle. Everyone in here can agree that you're more deserving of knighthood than anyone else, despite being lousy with a sword."

Everyone voiced their agreement, but was silence again when Arthur raised his hand to quiet them. "However, you'll never a be a knight. You have a far more important role to fill."

Merlin turned and looked at his best friend, who was looking at him in return. "From this moment forth, you are relieved of your duties as my manservant. From this moment forth you'll be Camelot's new Court Sorcerer."

Merlin bit down on the urge to protest, as he remembered the promise he made to Morgana. He was to accept the reward he has been given with grace and honour.

The new Court Sorcerer looked around the room with smile as everyone applauded his new role. Even the servants who been given him jealous looks all night, were happy for him and were clapping.

* * *

A/N: This chapter marks the end of my Magic Reigns Free series. Don't worry though I've already started on my sequel series. I shall have the first chapter posted in a few days.

WARNING: Beware The References


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